General
David Monroe Shoup served as the twenty-second Commandant of the Marine
Corps from January 1, 1960 until his retirement from active service, December
31, 1963.

As a colonel in World War II, General Shoup
earned the Nation's highest award, the Medal of Honor, while commanding
the Second Marines, 2d Marine Division, at Betio, a bitterly contested
island of Tarawa Atoll. The British Distinguished Service Order was also
awarded him for this action. The following citation accompanied his award
of the Medal of Honor:

"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
at the risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding
officer of all Marine Corps troops in action against enemy Japanese forces
on Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands, from November 20 to 22,
1943.

"Although severely shocked by an exploding
shell soon after landing at the pier, and suffering from a serious painful
leg wound which had become infected, Colonel Shoup fearlessly exposed himself
to the terrific relentless artillery, and rallying his hesitant troops
by his own inspiring heroism, gallantly led them across the fringing reefs
to charge the heavily fortified island and reinforced our hard-pressed
thinly-held lines. Upon arrival at the shore, he assumed command of all
landed troops and, working without rest under constant withering enemy
fire during the next two days conducted smashing attacks against unbelievably
strong and fanatically defended Japanese positions despite innumerable
obstacles and heavy casualties.

"By his brilliant leadership, daring tactics,
and selfless devotion to duty, Colonel Shoup was largely responsible for
the final, decisive defeat of the enemy and his indomitable fighting spirit
reflects great credit upon the United States Naval Service."

General Shoup was the 25th Marine to receive
the Medal of Honor in World War II. It was presented to him on January
22, 1945 by the late James V. Forrestal, then
Secretary of the Navy.

The general was born December 30, 1904, at
Battle Ground, Indiana. A 1926 graduate of DePauw University, Greecastle,
Indiana, he was a member of he Reserve Officers Training Corps at the University.
He served for a month as a second lieutenant in the Army Infantry Reserve
before he was commissioned a Marine second lieutenant on July 20, 1926.

Ordered to Marine Officers Basic School at
the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Lieutenant Shoup's instruction was interrupted
twice by temporary duty elsewhere in the United States, and by expeditionary
duty with the Sixth Marines in Tientsin, China. After serving in China
during most of 1927, he completed Basic School in 1928. He then served
at Quantico, Virginia; Pensacola, Florida; and San Diego, California.

From June 1929 to September 1931, Lieutenant
Shoup was assigned to the Marine detachment aboard the USS MARYLAND.
By coincidence, the USS MARYLAND was the flagship for the assault
on Tarawa 12 years later --providing emergency Naval gunfire support with
her 16-inch guns early on D-Day. On his return from sea duty, he served
as a company officer at the Marine Corps Base (later Marine Corps Recruit
Depot), San Diego, until May 1932 when he was ordered to the Puget Sound
Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington. He was promoted to first lieutenant in
June 1932.

Lieutenant Shoup later served on temporary
duty with the Civilian Conservation Corps in Idaho and New Jersey form
June 1933 to May 1934. Following duty in Seattle, Washington, he was again
ordered to China in November 1934, serving briefly with the Fourth Marines
in Shanghai, and, subsequently, at the American Legation in Peiping. He
returned to the United States, via Japan, early in June 1936 and was again
stationed at the Puget Sound Navy Yard. He was promoted to captain in October
1936.

Captain Shoup entered the Junior Course, Marine
Corps Schools, Quantico, in July 1937. On completing the course in May
1938, he served as an instructor for two years. In June 1940, he joined
the Sixth Marines in San Diego. He was promoted to major in April 1941.

One month later, Major Shoup was ordered to
Iceland with the Sixth Marines and, after serving as Regimental Operations
Officer, became Operations Officer of the 1st Marine Brigade in Iceland
in October 1941. For his service in Iceland during the first three months
after the United States entered World War II, he was awarded the Letter
of Commendation with Commendation Ribbon. He assumed command of the 2d
Battalion, Sixth Marines, in February 1942. On returning to the States
in March, the 1st Marine Brigade was disbanded and he returned with this
battalion to San Diego. In July 1942, he became Assistant Operations and
Training Officer of the 2d Marine Division. He was promoted to lieutenant
colonel in August 1942.

Sailing from San Diego aboard the USS MATSONIA
in
September 1942, Lieutenant Colonel Shoup arrived at Wellington, New Zealand,
later that month. From then until November 1943, he served as G-3, Operations
and Training Officer of the 2d Marine Division during its training period
in New Zealand. His service in this capacity during the planning of the
assault on Tarawa earned him his first Legion of Merit with Combat "V".
During this period he also served briefly as an observer with the 1st Marine
Division on Guadalcanal in October 1942 and with the 43d Army Division
on Rendova, New Georgia, in the summer of 1943, earning a Purple Heart
in the latter operation.

Promoted to colonel November 9, 1943, Colonel
Shoup was placed in command of the Second Marines (Reinforced), the spearhead
of the assault on Tarawa. During this action he earned the Medal of Honor
as well as a second Purple Heart. In December 1943, he became Chief of
Staff of the 2d Marine Division. For outstanding service in this capacity
from June to August 1944, during the battles for Saipan and Tinian, he
was again awarded the Legion of Merit with Combat "V". He returned to the
United States in October 1944.

On his return to the States Colonel Shoup served
as Logistics Officer, Division of Plans and Policies, Headquarters Marine
Corps. He was again ordered overseas in June 1947. Two months later he
became Commanding Officer, Service Command, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific.
In June 1949, he joined the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton as Division
Chief of Staff. A year later he was transferred to Quantico where he served
as Commanding Officer of the Basic School from July 1950 until April 1952.
He was then assigned to the Office of the Fiscal Director, Headquarters
Marine Corps, serving as Assistant Fiscal Director. He was promoted brigadier
general in April 1953.

In July 1953, General Shoup was named Fiscal
Director of the Marine Corps. While serving in this capacity, he was promoted
to major general in September 1955. Subsequently, in May 1956, he began
a brief assignment as Inspector General for Recruit Training. Following
this, he served as Inspector General of the Marine Corps from September
1956 until May 1957. He returned to Camp Pendleton in June 1957 to become
Commanding General of the 1st Marine Division.

General Shoup joined the 3d Marine Division
on Okinawa in March 1958 as Commanding General. Following his return to
the States, he served as Commanding General of the Marine Corps Recruit
Depot, Parris Island, from May to October 1959. On November 2, 1959, he
was promoted to lieutenant general and assigned duties as Chief of Staff,
Headquarters Marine Corps.

General Shoup was nominated by President Dwight
D. Eisenhower on August 12, 1959 to be the 22d Commandant of the Marine
Corps, and his nomination for a four-year term was confirmed by the Senate.
Upon assuming his post as Commandant of the Marine Corps on January 1,
1960, he was promoted to four-star rank.

On January 21, 1964, shortly after his retirement,
General Shoup was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by President
Lyndon B. Johnson for exceptionally meritorious service as Commandant of
the Marine Corps.

A complete list of the general's medals and
decorations includes: the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Medal,
the Legion of Merit with Combat "V" and Gold Star in lieu of a second award,
the Letter of Commendation with Commendation Ribbon, the Purple Heart with
Gold Star in lieu of a second award, the Presidential Unit Citation, the
Yangtze Service Medal, the Expeditionary Medal, the American Defense Service
Medal with Base clasp, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal,
the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four bronze stars, the American
Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the National Defense Service
Medal, and the British Distinguished Service Order.

General Shoup died 13 January 1983, and was
buried in Section 7-A of Arlington National Cemetery.

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of all Marine Corps
troops in action against enemy Japanese forces on Betio Island, Tarawa
Atoll, Gilbert Islands, from 20 to 22 November 1943. Although severely
shocked by an exploding enemy shell soon after landing at the pier and
suffering from a serious, painful leg wound which had become infected,
Col. Shoup fearlessly exposed himself to the terrific and relentless artillery,
machinegun, and rifle fire from hostile shore emplacements. Rallying his
hesitant troops by his own inspiring heroism, he gallantly led them across
the fringing reefs to charge the heavily fortified island and reinforce
our hard-pressed, thinly held lines. Upon arrival on shore, he assumed
command of all landed troops and, working without rest under constant,
withering enemy fire during the next 2 days, conducted smashing attacks
against unbelievably strong and fanatically defended Japanese positions
despite innumerable obstacles and heavy casualties. By his brilliant leadership
daring tactics, and selfless devotion to duty, Col. Shoup was largely responsible
for the final decisive defeat of the enemy, and his indomitable fighting
spirit reflects great credit upon the U.S. Naval Service.
DAVID M. SHOUP DEAD AT 78EX-COMMANDANT OF MARINE CORPS

WASHINGTON, January 16, 1983 – General David M. Shoup, a retired
Commandant of the Marine Corps, a World War II hero and early, outspoken
critic of United States involvement in the Vietnam War, died Thursday of
a heart ailment at the Circle Terrace Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia.
He was 78 years old and lived in Alexandria.

General Shoup, who won the Medal of Honor for gallantry at Tarawa
in the Pacific, said he believed the extensive buildup of American forces
in Vietnam was unjustified. He called President Johnson’s contention
that the Vietnam War was vital to United States interest “pure, unadulterated
poppycock.”

In 1966, three years after his retirement from the Marine Corps,
General Shoup told students of Pierce College in Los Angeles that he did
not think “as related to the present and future safety of this country”
that “the whole of Southeast Asia was worth a single American life.”

“People keep honking about four Presidents having made commitments,”
he said in an interview in 1968. “We never made commitments, legal
or otherwise, to furnish combat-type forces to anyone.”

General Shoup, a short, chunky man who had a quiet, matter-of-fact
way of speaking, was named Commandant of the Marine Corps in 1959 after
33 years in the service.

General Shoup’s appointment by President Eisenhower caused bitterness
among ranking Corps officers. He was advanced over nine other officers,
including three lieutenant generals, all of whom immediately applied for
retirement.

In 1962, testifying before a special preparedness subcommittee of
the Senate formed to investigate anti-Communist indoctrination in the armed
forces, General Shoup criticized the panel for sending investigators to
question enlisted Marines. The Marine Corps should not be teaching
hate, he said; it should be teaching men how to defend themselves and their
country.

Among his first actions as head of the Marine Corps was to end the
use of swagger sticks “except for those who need them.” They promptly
disappeared. He also ended the traditional practice of escorting
Marines convicted by a court-martial off the post with drummers playing
the death march.

In command of the Marines in the attack on Japanese-held Beito Island
of Tarawa, November 20-22, 1943, then-Colonel Shoup earned the highest
military honor for valor.

On the first night of the assault, Colonel Shoup was wounded in the
leg by shrapnel, but, according to the citation be received, he “fearlessly
exposed himself to the terrific and relentless artillery, machine gun and
rifle fire.”

Stranded a half mile down the beach from their landing point, Colonel
Shoup rallied his troops and, the citation read, “gallantly led them across
the fringing reefs to charge the heavily fortified island and reinforce
our hard-pressed, thinly held lines.”

After Tarawa he served through the battles of Saipan and Tinian in
the Mariana Islands.

David Monroe Shoup was born in Battle Ground, Indiana, on December
30, 1904. He graduated from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana,
in 1926.

After graduation, he spent a month as a Lieutenant in the United
States Army Infantry Reserve and was then transferred to the Marine Corps
on June 26, 1926. He studied at the Basic School for Marine Officers
at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, and served several years on the battleship
USS Maryland off China.

Later he served as an instructor at the Marine Corps Training and
Instructional Center at Quantico, Virginia.

Colonel Shoup was commanding a Marine Detachment in Iceland at the
time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

USMC Photos

SHOUP, ZOLA DeHAVEN

On January 28, 2003. Preceded in death by her
husband, General David Monroe Shoup, United States Marine Corps (Retired);
Survived by daughter, Carolyn Lamar of North Carolina; brother, Floyd DeHaven
of Indiana; granddaughters, Catherine Chase of New York, Vicky Watkins
of North Carolina, Martha Shoup of Colorado; grandson, Kenneth Shoup of
Virginia; and great-granddaughter, Becky Watkins of North Carolina.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday,
February 13, 9 a.m. in Fort Myer Chapel. Interment Arlington National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to National Museum
of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20005.